Device for preventing spreading of railway-tracks



(No Model.)

A. H. NEWPHER.

DEVICE FUR PREVENTING SPREADING UP RAILWAY TRACKS. No. 491,441. PatentedPeb. 7, 1893.

" AENT OFFICE.

ALFREDH. NEWPI-IER, OF PULLINIAN, ILLINOIS.

DEVICE FOR PREVENTING SPREADING OF RAILWAY-TRACKS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 491,441, dated February'7, 1893.

Application filed August 1, 1892. Serial No. 442,148- (No model.)

T0 a/ZZ whom t may concern.-

Be it known that I, ALFRED H. NEWPHER, a citizen of the United States,residing at Pullman, in the county of Oook and State of Illinois, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Devices for PreventingSpreading of Railway-Tracks; and I do here by declare the following' tobe a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as willenable others skilled in the art to which it appertains t0 make and usethe same.

My invention relates to improvements in devices for preventing thespreading of the rails of a railway track; and it consists in thepeculiar construction and arrangement of parts as will be hereinafterfully pointed out and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings-Figure 1 is a transverse vertical sectionalview through a railway track provided with my improvements; Fig. 2 is asimilar view of a slightly modied construction; Fig. 3 is aviewon theline tc-x of Fig. 1; and Fig. et is a detail View of one of the clampingnuts or plates.

Like letters of reference denote corresponding parts in the severalfigures of the drawings, referring to which- A designates the rails of arailway track, which rails are shown as of the ordinary T- form in crosssection.

On the laterally projecting flange or foot of the rail, on both sidesthereof, are fitted clamping plates or nuts B which consist of a solidpiece provided in) one face with a socket or recess l) conforming'incross section to the shape bf and adapted to receive the foot a of therail A. In the plates or nuts B, below the rail receiving sockets l)therein, is formed an internally threaded passage through which aconnecting or tie rod C is adapted to extend; the threads c, formed onthe ends f said rod, engaging with the internal threads ih the passagein the plates B. The tie or connecting rod C extends across the trackand unites the clamping nuts B fitted on one rail A with thediametrically opposite plates on the other rail of the track. i

i i i i rIhe plates B are held securely on the tie rod O and firmlyagainst the foot of the rails A by means of locking nuts D screwed onthe threaded portions of the rod O and bearing closely against the outerfaces of the clamping plates or nuts.

In the modified construction shown in Fig. 2 I place around thetransverse tie rod O, between the inner adjacent faces of the clampingplates on each rail, a strong coiled cushion spring D the ends of whichare fitted in sockets or recesses formed in the inner adjacent faces ofthe clamping nuts or plates B.

From the foregoing description, taken in connection with the drawings,it will be seen that I have provided asimple strong and durable devicefor connecting the rails of a track and operating to effectually preventany lateral movement or play of either of the rails.

I am aware that changes in theform and proportion of parts and detailsof construction of the devices herein shown and described as anembodiment of my invention can be made without departing from the spiritor sacrificing the advantages thereof, and I therefore reserve the rightto make such changes as fairly fall within the scope of the same.

I-laving thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new anddesire to secure by Letters Patent, isz* The combination with the railsof a railway track, of clamping plates arranged on opposite sides of andadapted to receive the foot of a rail, a connecting rod joiningtheclamps on the rail, a coiled spring fitted around the rod, between theclamping plates on each rail and having its ends fitted in sockets inthe adjacent faces of said plates, and locking nuts fitted in theconnecting rod to hold the clamping plates in position thereon,substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

ALFRED II. NEWPHER.

Witnesses:

CLARENCE MONAHAN, CLARENCE E. GARNETT.

